What Would You Call It?

Take a look at the image to the left. What would you call it?

Most would call it “acorn” because that is what we have always known it to be called. These things are all over the ground where I live (East Tennessee) because their trees are all over the place here.

Now, may I suggest a different name? Oak Tree.

“Oh, no,” you say. “That is not an oak tree. It is the seed of an oak tree. The seed of an oak tree is called an “acorn”. You may call it an oak tree when the seed germinates and looks like an oak tree.

“Really?” So, a thing’s reality is what it looks like now—in its present state? I should not call it what it is intended to be until it actually becomes that thing?

Take a look at the image to the left. What would you call it?

Most people would not know because few people are familiar with olive trees. Olive trees don’t grow around here.

Now that you know it comes from an olive tree, what would you call it?

“Pit,” you say.

Now, may I suggest a different name? Olive Tree.

“Oh, no,” you say. “That is not an olive tree. It is the seed of an olive tree. The seed of an olive tree is called a “pit”. You may call it an olive tree when the seed germinates and looks like an olive tree.

“Really?” So, a thing’s reality is what it looks like now—in its present state? I should not call it what it is intended to be until it actually becomes that thing?

Growing trees:

I don’t need to ask someone how to grow an oak tree from an acorn. I know that if I just push an acorn into the ground, around here and it will grow into an oak tree.

But the pit is different. The one in the image above came from one of the oldest known olive trees in the world which stands in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. Since being given an olive from that tree, I have wanted to grow my own olive tree from it; however, I cannot find anyone who will tell me how. No one wants to be responsible should they end up killing it. So, I have just kept it all these years.

Take a look at the image to the left. What would you call it (delete the horse for a minute)?

Most people would call it “boy”.

I would suggest a different name: Man of God/husband/computer programmer.

“Oh, no,” you say. “That is a child. You are using grown-up words. You may call him those things when he grows up.

“Really?” So, a thing’s reality is what it looks like now—in its present state? I should not call it what it is intended to be until it actually becomes that thing?

Growing adults:

What do you “call” your children? Do you call them what you see with your natural eyes or do you call them what you see with the eyes of faith and prophetic understanding?

Consider this:

The “acorn” already has within itself everything needed to become a fully functional oak tree.

It needs one thing only…

The “pit” already has within itself everything needed to become a fully functional olive tree.

It needs one thing only…

The “boy” already has within himself everything needed to become a fully functional man of God/husband/computer programmer.

He needs one thing only…

The one thing all these need is Environment, an environment purposefully created to form them into what they were originally created to be.

That is why we find oak trees growing in rich, moist soil; why we find olive trees growing in dry, sandy, rocky soil. And, why we find your children growing in your home and not in someone else’s home.

May I suggest that you begin calling each child what God shows you he, or she, is to become and not what you see with your natural eyes?

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